TABLE OF CONTENTS
Understanding Brand Archetypes | Identifying Your Archetype | Content Strategies for Each Archetype | How to Implement Your Archetype in Content
Think about the brands you truly connect with — the ones whose messages resonate so deeply that you eagerly engage with their content. It almost feels like they’re an extension of your own identity.
Chances are, these brands have effectively used a brand archetype in their content marketing strategy to build that connection.
Brand archetypes humanize a brand, allowing people to relate to a faceless organization. They shape your brand's voice, message, and content strategy.
The more you lean into an archetype in your content, the more consistent, relevant, and differentiated your brand and content feel to your ideal audience.
This article will briefly recap the 12 brand archetypes and explore archetype-based content strategies you can now use to create brand-building content that meets marketing goals.
Understanding Brand Archetypes
Brand archetypes are universal symbols or personas that represent human motivations. They originate from a theory developed by the Swiss Psychiatrist and world-renowned author Carl Jung.
He theorized that certain archetypes exist in our collective subconscious. When we see certain traits in someone, we immediately develop a particular perception about them. These perceptions help humans decide how to relate to others.
By embodying these brand archetypes in your content, you can reinforce your audience's perception of who your brand is and why they want to be a part of it. The result? Stronger connections with your audience.
There are 12 basic brand archetypes:
- The Innocent
- The Explorer
- The Sage
- The Hero
- The Outlaw
- The Magician
- The Everyman
- The Lover
- The Jester
- The Caregiver
- The Sovereign
- The Creator
Identifying Your Brand’s Archetype
Which brand personality are you?
First, think about your brand mission and values. If you have values of trust and integrity, then a Jester's or Innocent's personality may not align well. The Jester is an unpredictable jokester, while the Innocent has an optimistic, sometimes naive view of the world.
Next, you'll want to look at your audience's expectations and emotional triggers. Your audience needs to resonate with this brand persona. If your audience is carefree and adventurous, they may relate to an Explorer. If they're looking to buck the system, they may relate to an Outlaw.
Competitive differentiation is also significant.
Let's say you're a financial services business. Your competitors may tend to be Sages who know everything or Sovereigns who have absolute control. But maybe your audience is looking for a finance business that's a Caregiver instead. They want someone patient, supportive, and willing to walk with them every step of the way.
Then, there's market positioning.
It may make sense for a well-established company to be Sovereign or Sage. But if you're the little guy trying to disrupt the industry with a dazzling new method or technology, your brand may be a Magician. If you feel the big companies have lost their passion for the business, and you want to bring it back, your brand may be a Lover or a Hero here to save the industry from the old ways.
Explore each brand archetype to uncover which one best aligns with your company.
Content Strategies for Each Brand Archetype
Brand content marketing comes down to aligning your content with these brand personas. This means that the voice, tone, and types of content will look very different for each archetype within your brand content marketing strategy.
The Innocent
Tone: The Innocent is optimistic, simple, and pure. You believe your brand and industry can do better. More is possible when we let go of perceived limitations.
Content Ideas: Your content is inspirational. You lean into storytelling, nostalgia-driven content, and wholesome brand messaging to connect with your audience.
Example: Dove’s campaigns around self-love and positivity come to mind. In B2B, Calendly has built its brand around making scheduling and following-up so simple and seamless that anyone can do it.
The Explorer
Tone: You're adventurous, daring, and independent. As an Explorer, you encourage your audience to join you on this adventure in real life and through media.
Content Ideas: Your content revolves around travel stories, outdoor lifestyle content, and discovery-based blog series.
Example: Patagonia’s environmental and adventure storytelling is a prime example. In B2B, Coinbase, a crypto exchange company, is blazing trails by making it easier for businesses to accept, manage, and pay vendors in crypto. That's certainly a new frontier for many.
The Sage
Tone: You're intellectual, informative, and authoritative. You've done and/or lived your research and communicate confidently about what to do and how to do it.
Content Ideas: You'll create in-depth guides, whitepapers, expert interviews, and educational videos. Your content appears well-researched, with good documentation from trusted sources — besides yourself.
Example: Harvard Business Review’s thought leadership content fits the bill. In B2B, Google is a Sage that has been showing everyone how it's done for decades now.
The Hero
Tone: Your brand is inspirational, determined, and courageous. You're here to save the day and/or encourage others to become a Hero in their own life or business (for B2B).
Content Ideas: Heros share case studies demonstrating how they've helped others. They highlight customer success stories, turning their customers into everyday heroes. They launch motivational campaigns to get people amped to take on tough challenges.
Example: Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign featuring athletes overcoming challenges. In B2B, Stripe is a good example. They're inspiring small business growth with scalable Point of Service systems.
The Outlaw
Tone: You are rebellious, bold, and provocative. You're trying to break the system and free us all from its monotony.
Content Ideas: Your content is filled with disruptive thought leadership and controversial takes breaking industry norms.
Example: Harley-Davidson’s raw and rebellious brand messaging makes them an Outlaw. In B2B, Robinhood established itself as a rebel, encouraging individuals to give up their day jobs and turn day trading into a business with easy tools.
The Magician
Tone: Your brand wants to be transformative, visionary, and inspiring. As a Magician, you're building a world, virtual or IRL (in real life), in which your customers dwell.
Content Ideas: Behind-the-scenes innovation stories, future predictions, and storytelling that evokes wonder are all on your content calendar.
Example: Apple’s product reveal campaigns fall into this persona. More broadly, they've created an ecosystem of interconnected devices where their customers increasingly live. And a real-life example would be Disney theme parks.
The Everyman
Tone: The Everyman is relatable, down-to-earth, and friendly.
Content Ideas: You'll celebrate user-generated content where people use your products or services to build or create. You're endlessly helpful with content that ranges from everyday problem-solving to approachable how-to guides (written and video).
Example: IKEA’s practical home organization tips and Home Depot have built their company around being an Everyman helping everyday people. Salesforce took this approach, too, with scalable solutions for everyday businesses.
The Lover
Tone: You're passionate and emotional. You are not afraid to speak intimately, authentically, and vulnerably with your customers.
Content Ideas: Lovers go for more romantic branding that delights multiple senses with sensual storytelling and aspirational lifestyle content.
Examples: Chanel’s luxurious and romantic campaigns are an example. In B2B, Figma is a great example. They inspire businesses to dream, design, and build using their tools.
The Jester
Tone: People see your brand as playful, humorous, and witty. You're predictable in the fact that your audience expects you to do something unexpected that will delight them.
Content Ideas: As a Jester, you'll create and share memes, comedic brand videos, and lighthearted social content. You may antagonize others, but it’s never mean-spirited.
Example: Old Spice’s humorous ad campaigns have embraced the Jester over the past 10 years, turning a once stodgy, old-fashioned brand into something new and fresh. In B2B, GoDaddy has also leaned into quirky, irreverent branding.
The Caregiver
Tone: Your brand is compassionate, nurturing, and reassuring.
Content Ideas: You'll create empathy-driven content and customer support stories. You're big on bringing people together online and in person for a cause.
Example: Think about Johnson & Johnson’s healthcare and family-focused messaging. In B2B, Adobe is an unlikely Caregiver that created a very supportive, easy-to-use, and more affordable suite of tools to rival their competitors' harder-to-use and expensive software.
The Sovereign
Tone: You're confident, commanding, and refined. You're often more established and well-networked but could also be faking it until you make it. The Sovereign promises: Follow me, and you'll succeed.
Content Ideas: Your brand does independent research, tracks trends, and compiles industry insights. You create authoritative leadership pieces that guide how your customers live and work.
Example: Rolex’s high-status and luxury-focused content. In B2B, Microsoft and HubSpot are Rulers. Influencers such as Neil Patel and Rand Fishkin can be Rulers, too. They’re associated with companies, but their personal branding transcends the organization.
The Creator
Tone: You're imaginative, artistic, and expressive.
Content Ideas: As a Creator, you often build content that helps others make things. So, DIY tutorials, design inspiration, and innovative brand storytelling are all on your content calendar.
Example: Adobe’s creative-focused content for designers takes a Creator archetype, which works in unison with their Caregiver persona.
How to Implement Your Brand Archetype in Content Creation
Content marketing and branding come down to your decisions and how consistently you stick with those choices. It's critical to get these plans out of your head and onto paper or screen.
As you build your content strategy, consider how your chosen brand archetype will determine your decisions related to:
- Messaging and copywriting
- Visual identity
- Content distribution channels
- Engagement strategies
Next, let's look at how to align various aspects of your brand content strategy with your archetype. This is how to create that brand-building content you can use to meet your business goals.
Messaging & Copywriting
Craft your messaging to reflect the tone and voice of your chosen persona as you align it with your brand and content strategy.
If you're a Jester, then your voice is playful. If you're a Sage, you may write more stiffly while explaining how things work.
But if you're a Caregiver-Sage (yes, you can combine them to create unique personas), then your voice and tone might be more supportive while you explain how things work.
Grammarly Premium can identify your primary voice trait, but it often pushes you toward a confident and curt tone — even if that’s not your style. Pro tip: Don’t let editing tools strip away your unique brand voice. Stay authentic. Stay human.
Visual Identity
Select imagery, colors, and design elements that mirror your archetype's characteristics.
A Lover archetype might use passionate colors like red and elegant imagery, while an Explorer could opt for earthy tones and adventurous visuals.
An Outlaw, Everyman, Caregiver, or Innocent could produce a video that looks unscripted and raw. However, the Sovereign's videos look more refined because they must appear to have access to more advanced production resources.
Content Distribution
A Magician archetype, focusing on transformation and innovation, might leverage immersive platforms like:
- Interactive websites
- Virtual reality experiences
- Visual social media like Instagram or TikTok
In contrast, an Everyman could engage audiences on community-focused platforms, such as:
- Facebook groups
- Nextdoor (if locally focused)
Engagement Strategies
A Hero archetype might engage followers with social media challenges. You might also urge people to share their success stories and how they overcame obstacles.
Meanwhile, a Caregiver could foster community by hosting support forums or Q&A sessions, emphasizing empathy and assistance. You're encouraging your audience to get involved in causes they care about and to share their engagement online.
Remember, engagement isn't just about the person engaging at this moment. Others see the engagement. It paints a picture of an appreciated brand. The right audience is drawn to it and the engagement grows.
Final Thoughts & Next Steps
Jung believed certain archetypes are hard-wired in our subconscious. These help us relate to the world. Businesses, including B2B companies, can better differentiate, connect, and engage when they lean into one of these recognizable brand personas.
We encourage you to develop your content strategy using a brand archetype and document how it will shape your messaging, visuals, distribution, and engagement approach.
To learn more about how a brand persona can drive impactful, results-driven content, download our free guide.
